Engineers Blank Lions for Second Straight Shutout

Mar 15, 2011

Cambridge, Mass. – The MIT men's baseball team notched their second consecutive shutout, again with a 9-0 score. They beat the Lions of Eastern Nazarene College in their home opener Tuesday at Briggs Field. The Engineers scored two runs in the second inning and added a run each in the next two frames. They held a 4-0 lead until the sixth where they busted the game open with five more runs over the next two innings.

Freshman second baseman Jonathan Rea and junior shortstop Bryan Macomber had enormous days for MIT. Rea had three hits in four at bats and drove in two runs. On the basepaths, he swiped three bases and scored a run. Macomber tripled twice and had 4 RBIs.

In the second inning, Perez doubled to deep center field to score McKinney, who had singled, then scored an unearned run when the third basemen threw away a single by Dayton. McKinney added an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Macomber got his first RBI an inning later when he tripled home Dayton. He brought Perez home in the sixth inning, part of four straight singles, the last of which by Rea plating him and right fielder Ryne Barry. Barry and Perez each crossed the plate again in the seventh on Macomber's triple to right, his second of the game.

The Lions loaded the bases in the third inning with two outs, but Swanson was able to get right fielder Max Pugh to ground into a fielder's choice, ending the only real threat the visitors had all day. It was the only time Pugh was retired on the afternoon, as he had three hits, the only Lion with a multiple hit day.

Eastern Nazarene stranded 11 runners on base, while the Engineers left 7 men on. Tech outhit the Lions by a 15 to 7 margin, and each squad made one error.

Justin Denbow, who started for Eastern Nazarene and pitched just two innings, took the loss. Denbow allowed two runs, one unearned, along with three hits and two walks.

Swanson struck out four batters in four innings and did not walk anyone. Brandon Lowe pitched two innings of relief, striking out two and Chris Vaughan, Cameron Browne and Henry Zhu each added an inning of shutout ball.

The Engineers (2-1) are slated to play against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 at Briggs Field, pending weather. The Lions of Eastern Nazarene fall to 3-7 and will start their Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule on March 21st at Gordon College.